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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. firm — steady
  4. band — a ring
  5. lean — to bend
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — decided
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pop — soda
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. lean — thin
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bulb — for light
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wax — to grow
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. band — a music group
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bulb — for light
  24. foot — a measure

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com